Funnel for casting explosive charges



Feb. 10, 1948.

c. F. SCHNEIDER 2,435,610

FUNNEL FOR, CASTING EXPLOSIVE CHARGES Filed April 30, 1941 v INVENTORCharles F". Schneider Patented Feb. 10, 1948 FUNNEL FOR CASTINGEXPLOSIVE CHARGES Charles F. Schneider, San Antonio, Tex. ApplicationApril 30, 1941, Serial No. 391,120 '1 Claims. (01. 86-31) (Granted underthe act of March 3, amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to meofany royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a method for filling a high explosive shell andapparatus therefor.

. In the past shells have been filled with T. N. T. by pouring molten T.N. T. in the shell and then performinga manual breaking down or puddlingoperation. It was found that each individual particle of the T. N. T.would not cool at the same rate, 1. e., the particles adjacent to themetal envelope of the shell and the particles forming the upper surfaceof the T. N. T. would solidify first and form a crust-like structurearound'the internal molten liquid. This condition is found to be readilyattributed to the fact that the metal envelope of the shell and the airabove the surface of the shell conducts heat away from the adjacent T.N. T. particles at a greater rate than supplied by the internalparticles and to the fact that the density of solid T. N. T. is greaterthan the density of liquid T. N. T. If the T. N. T'. were allowed tocool as indicated, minute voids wouldappear within the body of the T. N.T. and as a result the maximum amount of explosive per cubic inch ofshell is not realized; also the effectiveness of the detonation of theT. N. T. would not be fully realized and in some cases the T. N. T.would not be detonated by the booster charge.

To guard against the presence of these undesirable voids in the body ofthe T. N. T. in the past, small amounts of T. N. T. were progressivelypoured in the shell and allowed to cool and during the cooling periodexternal manually operated means were employed to'break up the crustformation. This process of course was time consuming and required thecontinued vigilance of the operating personnel.

According to the present invention the voids are greatly reduced oreliminated as seen from the fact that the density of the T. N. T. loadedaccording to my invention has been found to be 1.65 as compared to adensity of 1.55 which was obtained according to the prior art practise.Also the shell is, according to my invention, filled in a shorter periodof time with less operating personal.

An object of my invention is to provide a method for filling a shellwith T. N. T. or other material having a higher density when in thesolid state than when in the liquid state, so that a dense packing ofthe T. N. T. or other material within the shell results.

stem 6. The air In its broader aspects my invention relates to a methodand apparatus for filling a container with a material which shrinks insize when it passes from the liquidto the solid state; an object of myinvention is to produce a dense packing of such a material in thecontainer.

Another object of my invention is to produce a. densely packed shellwith the use of compressed gas.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention resides inthe method and novel arrangement and combination of elements necessaryto produce a dense loading of a container in a manner and of the typehereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be madewithin the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 discloses the disposition of the liquid T. N. T. in the shell andfunnel after the T.-. N. T. has been poured and the cap has been screwedon the funnel.

Fig. 2 discloses the disposition of the T. N. T. in the shell after ithas solidified under gas pressure.

Fig. 3 discloses a plan view of the filling funnel with the cap removed.

Fig. 4 discloses a plan view of the filling funnel with the cap inplace.

The numeral I designates the metal shell. The

funnel 2 is made of heat insulating material and has screw threads sothat it might be screwed in the opening of the shell. The gasket 3 ismade of rubber and serves to make the connection between the funnel 2and the shell I gastight. The upper portion of the funnel has screwthreads which are adapted to be engaged by the screw threads on thehexagon headed cap 4. The rubber gasket 5 serves to make the jointbetween the funnel and funnel cap gastight. The cap 4 may be made ofmetal or of a heat-insulating material an is preferably made of heatinsulating material in order to prevent a too rapid cooling of the T. N.T. in the funnel.

Provisions are made to introduce air above the N. T. through aconventional bicycle tube valve pressure above the T. N. T. ismaintained at approximately lbs. per square inch during the coolingoperation.

T. N. T. is molten at temperatures above 176 approximately. Molten T. N.T. is poured in the funnel until the level of the T. N. T. almostreaches the top of the funnel as indicated in Fig.

pressure above the T. N. T. is not critical for efiective operation ofthis method so that by mak-P ing the gas space above the T.N;' T. large;comparison to the increase in volume due to the solidification of the T.N. T., further application of gas pressure during the solidificationprocess would not be necessary. Otherwise, it'n'iiglit'be' necessary tomaintain a high pressure by :perfna-I nently or periodically connectingthe valve. 6 to a source of constant pressurelfThefuse'OfLthe funnel andcap of a material of highheat ifisu' -"go lating value insures that theT. N. T. contained in the funne1 will remain=molten during thesolidification of the charge in 'thei'shell-ca'se" and will thus 'beavailable to replenish shrinkage in the shell as it occurs. 1P

Enough molten TN. T. is poured in the funnel so that after thesolidification process the T. N. T. is'disposed as indicated in'FigQZ."'It is then nec essary' to remove some of the T. N. T-. in the shell tomake room tor the booster charge. After the solidification process thefunnel is removed and sufiicient T. N. TLis theircut out of the shell sothat the boosterrnay behccommbdated.

Iclaim:"

1. An apparatus for filling a container with a molten explosive"'chargef'which solidifies upon cooling and has-la greater density in'jth e solid state than' in' the molten 'st'ate, comprising a funnel ofheat insulating material for the container,

means for making airtight connection between 40 the funnel and thecontainer, a' cap (of; heat in'sulatin'g material for thefu'nnel, meansfor making an air-tight joint between the. cap and r n er, and means forintroducing pressure to 'th e int'erior of the funnel.

2. The invention claimed in claim 1; charac terized in that the capisprovided 'central lyjj with an opening and has a valve insaidopeningjfor' controllingthe fiowof pressure to thejntcrior 'of thefunnel. I

35 An apparatus for filling a shelljvlithamolten Y explosive chargewhich solidifies upon cooling and has a greater density in the; solidstate] than'jin.

the molten state, comprising a funnel'of heat insulating material forsaid shell; means for making an airtight connection between theiunneljand, the shell; 2. cap" for said funnel also of heat insuj latingmaterial, means 'ior' making an airtight connection between the" cap andtunnel, an open y;

ing' in said cap v and af valve in the 'opening for.

controllng the fiow ci pressure to theinterigr'oi. the 'funnel anditsescapetherefromi f f 4. The process -of' filling a container with amolten explosive charge whichj solidifies upon cooling and hasahigher'den sity in the solidified. 5

state than in themoltenstate, which comprises heating the solid to atemperature to bring .itfto' a moltenstate, filling the container withthe, sub"- stance in a molten state and keeping asubstan- 25 a portionof the molten explosive tial fraction. of the molten substance incontact with the substance in the container by the application of aconstant pressure thereto during filling, and maintaining said fractionat a higher temperature than the substance in the container byinsulating said fraction from the surrounding atmosphere. r I

5.' 'The -process described in 4 claim "4; 'wherein the supply of moltensubstance is maintained under fluid pressure in excess of that of thesurroundingatmosphere.

6.' The method of filling a shell with a molten explosive charge whichsolidifies upon cooling a'nd whi'ch'khas a greater density in the solidstate than inthemolten state, comprising the steps of se- "cili'ifig aheat insulating funnel to the shell in airtight .relation, melting theexplosive material, pouring the moltenmaterial into said funnel to filltl ej'shellandiat'least partially fill said funnel, sealing the top ofthe funnel with a heat insufii si= t 0n inua ap y n fluid P e sure to tsufia f hs m snexn ve i if nel duringi fining; ar a anowirig the" chsolidify in said shell whereb' heat u atin "as mixes in. the shell as ih'jcharee' reinsq "I. h th dporjnlnng. a. she-1. w'i. x qs ve rghivhysolidifiesu and which hasa g eater'densfiy injthe olidst '5 h nie'mqlten' t .;c mn is eii fl s c sa at insu ating. t n l. oJt lfs eliii; airtight relation melting the explosive mater; ,1', p r the ol enmatmali toj d mi t'o; fill the 'shell an'd also the:Turihe the iq'un tse v t 1 hf1l .e q'a on'q jre"the in;i a1ifl e n f. the runnei wituneatin ui d, s u e .in ?ll$ 1. suriace of the molten .explosiv a d'a lbwi efl arsetqso im y whereby, room is inadeiora. porti li $1.; explosiveforced, fror n the heatinsyl; "g tunnel to fill S in e. i e i it elll'aih har e;

therein solidifies.

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